The Death of Retail? Analysis of the Office Depot / OfficeMax Merger

Retail is an ever-changing landscape, but it will never be the same after the mass adoption of the Web. The office supplies industry is learning this the hard way as retail giants struggle to stay afloat in a world that is learning to prefer digital goods and services instead of the traditional stuff.

We stumbled upon an excellent analysis of the upcoming Office Max and Office Depot merger, which is supposed to save both companies from economic doom. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a steep uphill battle as technology reduces the need for office supplies and e-commerce stores undercut the brick-and-mortar option with better prices and to-your-door delivery. In other words, get ready to pay even less for your office supplies as a revolutionary war is about to consume this industry.

It’s a good read that inspires some important questions. Who will emerge as the online leader? Will Amazon step in to take over? Will a new, forward-thinking company emerge? Is there any room innovation? Who will remain the brick-and-mortar option? How far will prices drop? Only time will tell, but we suspect that established online giants, like Amazon, and web-based promotional products suppliers, such as AnyPromo.com, will play a big role in Office Depot/Max’s woes.

We’ll continue to watch the story as it develops, so stay tuned. In the meantime, join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+, and stay ahead of the game with an occasional hearty laugh and non-stop marketing & business advice, news and analysis.